Friday, December 5, 2008

"Genderphobia" is the fear and/or hatred of gender variant individuals. These can consist of a dislike for cross-dressers, transsexuals, or any degree of gender bending. The term is synonymous with transphobia.

7 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Historically It's synonymous with being "Gay" too. As much as we like to argue that homosexuality and gender are separate topics the truth is always going to be that homosexuals are all gender benders because our no matter how femm or mannish a same-sex couple hetero-sex is about mas and fem coming together and have sex and homo's bend that idea one way or another...so hetronormative homo's you're gender benders too...get over it!

This is not necessarily true because as a lesbian myself, I am not genderbending. I identify with being feminine and I dress, act, and my mannerisms are that of a femme. So how could you possibly fix your mouth to say that? Not everyone is the same, ya know!

I also disagree with anonymous because there are many heterosexual couples, who gender bend as well in the sense that the woman is masc and the man is more fem, but I understand what you are saying traditionally speaking. But I think rather than describe this as gender bending I would describe it as role altering. I have a post tomorrow that addresses this subject.

I would tend to agree that "genderphobia" could be associated with homosexuality as well - not because of gender bending, but because when it comes down to it, it's an issue of gender - no one would be bothered if my partner and I were opposite genders, it's the fact that we are the same gender that bothers them.

Respectfully, isn't role playing part of gender or gender bending? Language is subjective, not objective. It depends on who is saying it and our own cultural lens. I think for the most part you're getting what I mean. Ray of Sun, I think you are reading my post from a very black and white point of view. Even modern day fems are some how shifting gender roles or bending the rules if you will in a hetro-roled society just by not including a male in the relationship. I feel gender-phobia is such an important part of what breaks our movement down because of the shame associated with transcending gender on any level. Just some thoughts and some hope that we will take a closer look at this as gays or lesbians. I also hope no ones assumes my gender, I could be a super "fem" "lesbian" or "gay" woman, man,.. but what does that really mean, who decides, and how is it important in a social context????

Well if there was a gay couple and one partner was fem/butch to an extreme I suppose it could lend case to people being genderphobic against them. But if its the sight of 2 men in a relationship we have the term homophobia. You make an interesting point, just not sure if this term could be applied to a non-gender variant gay couple. I don't think just because someone is gay they are necessarily gender bending. But than again roles are socially constructed from gender. So if you are looking at it that way I suppose you could be right.

If a gay man is penetrating his partner, if they are sexually active they are gender bending. This is because penetration is interconnected with masculinity and femininity. I feel the real reason why the gay and lesbian agenda is so hell bent on rejecting the idea of sexuality and its interconnection with gender deconstruction or role bending is fear of emasculation and efeminization which is due to our polarized society and American Nationalism... Geat book "Queering Gay and Lesbian Studies"...